It's Swedish Night! Featuring: Swedish meatballs! and chips, and hot dogs and Pepsi?!? The last 3 are definitely not Swedish...Where is the pickled herring? the vörtlimpa (Christmas rye bread)? the gravad lax (lox)? or my favorite: the Glögg? That last one not only sounds cool, it's the nordic term for mulled wine and I would recommend it as your beverage of choice while you watch tonights game.

The Avalanche were awesome coming out of the gate surprising everyone, largely due to Craig Anderson's oustanding play. They have since slowed down a little, but are still in 4th place in the West, only 2 points back from the NW division leader. In the beginning of the season, Matt Duchene's name was being thrown around a lot for a possible rookie of the year...yeah, now, not so much but he does show flashes of great skill, but how about that Ryan O'Reilly kid?

Craig Anderson has been 3-6-3 in his last 12 starts. Like the Lightning's loss to Dallas, the Avalanche lost on Saturday in a shootout to Minnesota. What hurts more for them is that also lost David Jones for the season with a torn ACL. Milan Hejduk and TJ Galiardi did not play due to injury.Line-up Notes:

Our big Swede, Mattias Ohlund is still out

Game time: 7:30pm ET on SUN.

Note: I am a bit of a foodie, and have a thing for local European foods...so I am a little dismayed that Swedish night only has Swedish meatballs.]]>thevancitycanuck@gmail.com (Dani Toth)NovemberMon, 30 Nov 2009 18:00:00 +0000Vote for The Hockey Bayhttp://www.lightninghockeyblog.com/2009-articles/november/vote-for-the-hockey-bay.html
http://www.lightninghockeyblog.com/2009-articles/november/vote-for-the-hockey-bay.htmlSo the NHL Arena is running a blog-off contest for all the NHL Teams. Yours truly has been nominated as one of the Tampa Bay Lightning bloggers. It says you have to pick your favorite 4, but really you can just pick 1 and hit submit...

but I think Rawcharge are cool people too, so feel free to give them some love too.

It takes about 5 minutes to register for an account, but maybe you'll be rewarded with good karma or something for voting for me. I don't really know what the purpose of this blog-off is, maybe just being voted best blog? Who knows.

So here is the direct link to click if you'd like to show me some love. If you don't, well thats ok too, since it doesn't affect me how I do on a discussion board contest, since well I rarely visit discussion boards...]]>thevancitycanuck@gmail.com (Dani Toth)NovemberMon, 30 Nov 2009 01:02:00 +0000Game 24: Tampa in Dallas Previewhttp://www.lightninghockeyblog.com/2009-articles/november/game-24-tampa-in-dallas-preview.html
http://www.lightninghockeyblog.com/2009-articles/november/game-24-tampa-in-dallas-preview.htmlSecond weekend in a row for back to back games. The Lightning take on the Dallas stars tonight in Dallas.

Both teams were in action last night, the Lightning won 5-1 over the Rangers, and the Stars lost 5-2 to the Coyotes. Both teams travelled to Dallas for tonights game. Both of our records are pretty close in number, the Lightning at 10-6-7 and the Starts at 11-7-7. There was a lot of 'both teams' in that paragraph, but what I'm trying to get at is that the teams are well matched up, and are in the same position in tiredness. Dallas has the edge with it being a home crowd, though fan turnout for Dallas has been pretty suspect lately.

The Lighting will not make any line-up changes to tonight, which means that Mike Smith will start in goal. Smith and Halpern return to Dallas to face their old team, from which they got traded from for Brad Richards.

The Lightning have had help in scoring from their D men during the last couple of games which is great to see. Stamkos clearly is continuing his campaign to crack the Team Canada roster. Players to watch from Dallas beside Brad Richards is James Neal, Louie Eriksson and their rookie, who is a former Kelowna Rocket, Jamie Benn.

If you can get the FS Southwest feed instead, I would highly recommend watching that one instead of the SUN one. By far, the Dallas guys are the most hilarious announcers in the NHL.Line-up Notes:

Mattias Ohlund is still out with a lower body injury (day to day)

Mike Smith is in goal

Game time: 8:30pm ET on SUN.

No recap of the game tonight, because I will be out hitting the town tonight for some celebrations...so instead to make up for it, please enjoy the Lecavalier and Richards NHL promo video[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eZUTiEdhL30&hl=en_US&fs=1&]]]>thevancitycanuck@gmail.com (Dani Toth)NovemberSat, 28 Nov 2009 19:40:00 +0000Lightning 5, Rangers 1 - Bolts WINhttp://www.lightninghockeyblog.com/2009-articles/november/lightning-5-rangers-1-bolts-win.html
http://www.lightninghockeyblog.com/2009-articles/november/lightning-5-rangers-1-bolts-win.htmlWhen we were up 4-0 going into the 3rd, and I started to get nervous. You'd think being up 4-0 you wouldn't be nervous, but I was. It comes from the repeated times that the Lightning can have a lead, then somehow lose all composure, blow the lead, and end up losing in overtime.

But we didn't.

And Lundqvist got pulled. He gave up 4 goals on 22 shots.

Things just kinda went our way in this game. Great team effort.

St. Louis had 3 assists

Stamkos got another goal (#16)

Kurtis Foster went from no goals up until a week ago, to 3 goals, this may not seam like a lot, but that the same amount that he got for the Wild during the whole 06/07 season

]]>thevancitycanuck@gmail.com (Dani Toth)NovemberSat, 28 Nov 2009 19:10:00 +0000Game 23: Rangers in Tampa Previewhttp://www.lightninghockeyblog.com/2009-articles/november/game-23-rangers-in-tampa-preview.html
http://www.lightninghockeyblog.com/2009-articles/november/game-23-rangers-in-tampa-preview.htmlBlack Friday. I don't really understand all the hoopla about Black Friday....though I'm the type of person that will buy shoes at the beginning of the season because I don't like to deal with being told they don't have my size during a sale. I don't do large crowds at sales, I don't do boxing day sales, so I don't think I would do Black Friday well. I do like the concept of getting another day off, even if it is without pay.

So for Black Friday, the Lightning will have an open skate for fans from 6-8:45am (who is up at that ungodly hour on a day off, I don't know) which if you are reading this, you have already missed. Followed by an open Lightning morning skate from 10am-1pm and a discounted equipment sale. Terrace level tickets are on sale for $10. Seriously. Click here for all the Black Friday details.

There is also some discount on tickets for a "Lingerie Football League". I'm afraid to type that into the google machine and see what pops up.

On the hockey front, the Ranjuhs are 13-10-1 and have won the last two in a row. The Lightning on the other hand, well defence at least look like they've lost all sense of direction since Ohlund has been out with injury.

Tonight is the return of John Tortorella for the first time back to face the Lightning as a coach for the Rangers, and really it's not a big deal. He still lives in the Tampa Bay area (at least he did last year when he was an analyst on TSN) and is part of the community. Yes he did have a bit of a feud with Vinny when he coached the team, but Vinny is a big boy and will get overthe drama.

What is a big deal is that Marian Gaborik is still healthy. And Wade Redden is injured.

pic from @TBLightning]]>thevancitycanuck@gmail.com (Dani Toth)NovemberThu, 26 Nov 2009 16:00:00 +0000Leafs 4, Lightning 3 - Bolts LOSEhttp://www.lightninghockeyblog.com/2009-articles/november/leafs-4-lightning-3-bolts-lose.html
http://www.lightninghockeyblog.com/2009-articles/november/leafs-4-lightning-3-bolts-lose.htmlThis game was a bit of a first for the Lightning, it showed a back and forth play between the two teams. Even though we lost, and ended the home streak, from what I watched, I enjoyed the game for the entertainment factor.

The Leafs came out early and scored two goals from Kulemin and Hagman early in the game. The Lightning answered back with a PPG from Meszaros and a even strength goal from Lecavalier in the 1st. Hagman started off the 2nd period with a goal for the Leafs, before Malone evened it up at 7:52 in the 2nd. It wasn't until the end of the 2nd that Stajan got the game winner of the night for the Leafs.

Thoughts on the game:

Stamkos had two assists

Toronto's Hagman had a fantastic game

Malone had a great chance to get a goal in the end, but he was clearly out of gas, and a neat diving poke check from Beauchemin killed the attempt

I didn't like Lundin's game, was terrible from what I saw in the 3rd

The Lightning lost for the first time in regulation at home this year

Next game for the Lightning is on Friday against the Rangers. Enjoy your Thanksgiving everyone (well Americans at least). Gobble Gobble.]]>thevancitycanuck@gmail.com (Dani Toth)NovemberThu, 26 Nov 2009 05:50:00 +0000Game 22: Toronto in Tampa Previewhttp://www.lightninghockeyblog.com/2009-articles/november/game-22-toronto-in-tampa-preview.html
http://www.lightninghockeyblog.com/2009-articles/november/game-22-toronto-in-tampa-preview.htmlGobble Gobble, Happy Thanksgiving to all my American readers. Tronna is in town.

And check out this gem of a post by Archimedies I missed the last time we played the Leafs, analyzing the suits that our boys wear as they walk into the arena. I agree with him/Wrap on Hedman's suit analysis.

I hate when people call the Leafs the Laffs. It just sounds stupid and kinda redneck. I'm not a Leaf fan or anything, though I may know 2 or 3 (or realistically maybe about 10 of them), and of course, I like toss out a few Leaf jokes when they come in to town, but the people who call them the Laffs, they are just terrible and not creative at all.

Plus, I don't hate on the Leafs just because they suck, hell, we sucked more for the last 2 years, and if we don't stop losing games in OT we might be in the same position in a few months. In fact, I may have a soft spot for some of their players: The Monster, Schenn and Stalberg.

So positives for the Leafs? They now have Phil Kessel playing. Unfortunately for the Leafs (and my hockey pool), they can't clone like 30 of him.

The not so positives? They still have Jason Blake et al. on the team.

Vesa Toskala is back on the IR after tweaking his groin, along with John Mitchell (on the IR that is, not involved in the going tweaking) so they can hang out with Mike Komisarek and Mike Van Ryn. They have recalled Joey Macdonald and Christian Hanson from the Marlies yesterday as replacements. And the Leafs are tied with Carolina in points for the bottom of the East at 15 a piece.

There's some Thanksgiving tailgate party you can go to in Tampa tonight, where for $25 you can have unlimited food, beer, wine and soda! Did I seriously write that? Unlimited beer and wine? Where I live, I think that $25 may cover your parking, and that's not even talking about food and drinks. Back to tailgating: I've never been to a tailgate party, they don't have those here where I live, so I don't really understand what goes on at them, but I would really love to go. Click here for details on the one going on tonight in Tampa.

I found this while looking up Lightning/Leaf picture for my preview, and came across this from last year when the Leafs and the Lightning played. It's from the Believe in The Goal Foundation that was founded by Todd Davison (WHL player) who was diagnosed with cancer. He started the foundation to help in the fight to end cancer. Check out some pictures of the Lightning hanging out with12 year old cancer survivor, Mason Sesak who got to hang out with some of the team last year in Toronto. Love this.]]>thevancitycanuck@gmail.com (Dani Toth)NovemberWed, 25 Nov 2009 15:00:00 +0000More Swedish Love - Legal Versionhttp://www.lightninghockeyblog.com/2009-articles/november/more-swedish-love-legal-version.html
http://www.lightninghockeyblog.com/2009-articles/november/more-swedish-love-legal-version.html

Hello. there. Swedish. Stud.

I don't how the magazine came up with the nickname "The Iceman" since I'venever heard of anyone calling him anything but Ohlie, but after this photo I don't care.tHB approves of this photo.]]>thevancitycanuck@gmail.com (Dani Toth)NovemberWed, 25 Nov 2009 04:00:00 +0000Swedish love in video formhttp://www.lightninghockeyblog.com/2009-articles/november/swedish-love-in-video-form.html
http://www.lightninghockeyblog.com/2009-articles/november/swedish-love-in-video-form.html

So while checking out the Lightning website today, on their front page, they told me that Victor Hedman has a message for me! So clearly, I clicked on it. Click here, seriously, you won't regret it.

Um....Victor Hedman...I think I may love you after this video. The writing is so bad, but you make it work, shifting your weight and your coy smile....]]>thevancitycanuck@gmail.com (Dani Toth)NovemberMon, 23 Nov 2009 15:00:00 +0000